A/N Hello everybody! I'm very excited to share with you that my next book has been completed and is available on Amazon. I wanted to share a taste with you all on here so you can meet some of the characters and decide for yourself if it's something you'd be intrested in! Hope you enjoy.

LINK: Right Next Door: Proximity Book One https://a.co/d/jeTWWzp

**if the link doesn't work, you can find it by searching the title and my name in Amazon.

Ren's new bedroom was small. The bed took up most of the space, with just enough room to shove a nightstand in the corner and a dresser by the door. He didn't want to think about how many times he'd break his toes on the furniture when trying to navigate the cramped room. When he'd first arrived, he considered not using a dresser to avoid such injuries, but one glance in the tiny closet put these thoughts to rest. Given his abundance of clothing, the dresser was a necessary addition.

To top the whole room off, the walls were that ugly apartment eggshell color, and the ceiling was an unflattering popcorn texture.

It was all his, though, so he didn't care. His own space. Not like the freshman dorm room that was 50 percent his—well, more like 75 percent. His roommate, Noah, had been content with a quarter of the room.

Ren couldn't remember the last time he'd had a space of his own where he'd felt comfortable. Over the summer, he'd stayed in a room at his grandma's house, but that was more of a guest room he'd occupied for a few months. She'd tried to make it feel like home, but he'd always kept the space too tidy to be relaxing. He hadn't wanted her to regret allowing him to stay.

Even at his dad's, he felt far from comfortable. His room there seemed as if it belonged to someone else. A younger version of himself. It made him feel like an intruder.

But this? A room that was his in an apartment he shared with his best friend? Ren could get used to this.

"Hey." Speaking of his best friend.

Hale stood in the doorway, looking around as if there was much to see. There wasn't.

"What's up?"

"You're still not done?" Hale could have sounded annoyed—they'd moved in three days ago, and his boxes had been empty since before bed on the first night—but he seemed amused instead. "Want a hand?"

Thankful, Ren turned back to the boxes stacked on his bed. "You couldn't have asked earlier?" he joked as Hale joined him in the tiny room, standing close enough that their shoulders touched.

"I wasn't here." Hale reached out to pull a box closer. When he looked into it, his brows furrowed. It was still full. "What have you been doing all afternoon?"

Ren ignored the question. "Where were you earlier?"

Hale's blue eyes lifted from the mess on the bed to regard him. His cheeks were red. The response he gave failed to explain the expression. "I went to the store."

"The store," Ren echoed. "What happened at the store?"

"Nothing." Hale laughed at the look that came across Ren's face. "Really. Nothing happened at the store. When I was getting back—"

Hale was interrupted by a thump on the other side of Ren's bedroom wall, coming from the apartment next door. It was a sound Ren knew he would have to get used to—a normal aspect of cheap apartment living—though it was the first time he'd heard anything coming from the other apartment.

"What the fuck?" Ren said. "It's been silent over there so far."

"Yeah," said Hale. "We have new neighbors." His voice was light, as if on the verge of giggling. Curious, Ren fixed his roommate with an expectant look, waiting for an explanation. "They're freshmen. I met one of them in the elevator. He's super cute."

It was easy to pique Ren's interest. "Cute cute?"

Laughing, Hale nodded. Clearly, he was smitten. "Yes. Very cute."

"You should go for it, then," Ren said, bumping their shoulders together.

"Oh." Hale reached into the box, withdrew a shirt, and started folding it. "Nah, I don't think ..." he trailed off with a shake of his head.

It wasn't difficult to tell that Hale was feeling self-conscious. He was beautiful, with his sky-colored eyes and light brown hair, features elegant in a way Ren would kill for. Hale had gained some weight since their freshman year, giving him the curves Ren desperately wanted, but Hale hated his own body. His self-deprecation was hard for Ren to watch, though there was nothing he could say to make Hale see himself the way Ren did.

Still, that didn't mean he'd let this whole thing with their neighbor go. "Well, maybe I should go say hello," Ren suggested, intent on talking Hale up to the guy next door.

"You should," said Hale, pulling another shirt from the box. He looked less exuberant than he had a moment before, but not upset. "You'd probably hit it off. You're good at talking to men."

As Ren watched, Hale folded another shirt. "You know I'm going to undo that and put it in the closet, right?"

Hale tossed the fabric down onto the bed with a laugh. "Find me hangers. I'll do it for you."

With a huff of annoyance that was entirely for show, Ren combed through the other boxes, the topic of their neighbor forgotten for the time being.

***

Ren went next door after dinner, while Hale was in the shower. It would be a quick exchange, he told himself. He'd say hello, talk about how amazing Hale was, and gauge the neighbor's reaction, then return to his own apartment before his friend even realized he was gone.

After he knocked, it was a minute before the door opened.
Ren was immediately captivated by the man before him. He was tall, leading Ren to tilt his head back to meet his hazel eyes, and his hair was a muted shade of red. Right then, it was ruffled, giving him a wild sort of appearance Ren very much enjoyed. He had on a pair of gray sweatpants and was covered in a sheen of sweat. Exactly Ren's type.

Damn it, Hale, he thought, gritting his teeth. You're lucky I love you so much.

"Hi," Ren greeted, letting none of his interest show in his voice. "I'm your neighbor."

"Ah," was the only thing the man said as he eyed Ren up and down. He looked unimpressed. The reaction almost made Ren frown, but it didn't matter whether this guy liked him; he just had to like Hale. "Hello. How can I help you?"

"I thought I would come introduce myself."

Nodding, the man pushed his hand through his hair, disheveling it further. "I see. Well, you haven't done that yet."

"Done what?" Ren asked, dazed. Hale, you are so lucky.

"Introduced yourself."

"Oh! Right. That's why I'm here. I'm Ren." He held his hand out to shake.

The other man looked at it for a moment, then made a gesture Ren didn't understand and revealed, "Miles."

"That's your name?" Ren asked, not because he was stupid but because he felt awkward tucking his un-shook hand into his pocket and wanted to cover the action with words. Miles made a face. "You don't have to answer that. I got it."

"Right," said Miles, throwing a glance over his shoulder.

"Well, anyway, I was just curious if you remember running into—"

The other man cut him off. "Could I get back to what I was doing?"

Stunned, Ren fell silent. "Oh. Sure?" The second the words were out, the door shut in his face.

Ren didn't move right away, replaying the interaction in his head. Maybe he had interrupted something, but it wasn't like he was demanding much time. As Ren saw it, Miles should have been thankful for a break. He'd obviously been working hard, or he wouldn't have been sweating. There was no reason to be rude.

Ren stomped back to his own apartment. "What's cute about that?"

A/N: Thank you for reading! If you want to learn how this story pans out, it is avaible for purchase on Amazon as both an Ebook and a paper back.

LINK: Right Next Door: Proximity Book One https://a.co/d/jeTWWzp

<3 IVY